Fergus Hall's Witches companion book...help?

Hi everyone,

I am one of those people who thought Fergus Hall's Tarot of the Witches was ugly...then suddenly it started to haunt me. Hehehe. And then i looked for more pictures and decided...i liked the colors. And i don't have any deck with non scenic pips. And i feel that the way the people in this deck look - like they have a secret, but if you come closerand ask, they'll tell you and wink - appeals to me, together with it's Fergus Hall's intriguing art.

I found it in my favorite bookstore today...I could have snagged it...but something kept me from doing that. Then i realized i was worried if i'd ever be able to read with it, not because of the artwork, but because of the cards' unique symbolism (i don't think they LACK of anything as many reviewers say...in their carnival-esque colorfullness, they end up being more subtle) and, of course, the pip cards. I'm about to get a Marseilles from Valeria (trade train fun ), but i don't have any decks with unillustrated pips yet. Never read with them actually.

Then i found out this deck has a book written by Stuart Kaplan. But the version in my bookstore is the deck-only, and i dont really have much cash to pay for the imported set right now. So my question: is the book worth it? Is it a great companion book, or just another with LWB-like meanings and occult stuff that doesn't matter to me? Does it teach you how to read the pips without images?

I know not many people own this deck/book, but i'm hoping a kind, colorful soul will help me here

~ Marina

PS. I wonder if it's possible to find ONLY the book, or if it exists only in the set. Maybe that would be cheaper...well, if anyone ever feels like throwing the book away or anything, here i am

The book isn't too bad. It does describe the Majors quite nicely, but just gives keywords for the minors and doesn't say anything about how to read non-scenic pips. The rest of the book just talks about tarot history and spreads - nothing really specific to the deck.

I think the book is only available as a deck/book set. I love the majors in this deck too.

This deck is gorgeous, I love its bold and shiny colours, and the Italian print make them even brighter!

Anyway *the book is perfectly available alone*, I don't remember if it is out of print but there are lots of used copies on Amazon for very little money, so it wouldn't be a problem to get it.
For the non scenic pips it simply gives meanings that, if I recall well, are the same as the standard RWS meanings.

As of explaining how to read pips...well, I don't care if a book explain this or not.. in Italy, where the Marseille is the standard, pips meanings are generally simply learnt by heart and so do I..after all you simply have to memorize them once, then they apply to every pip deck (this is what I think,at least).

I got my book alone, but I got it used from either Amazon or eBay if I remember correctly. There are two versions, one from the James Bond 007 game (yellow cover) and the newer one (purple cover). They are virtually identical, the only difference being the 007 one has some information about the Live and Let Die movie. They are more detailed than the LWB and might be something you would be interested in if you wanted to learn more about the deck, but shouldn't be something you need to read with; the LWB gives a good account of possible divinatory meanings. In my opinion, the companion book is good if you want more details about the majors, but that's about as far as it goes.

Thanks for all the information!

Yes, i'd be interested in knowing more about the majors...i love them. For the non-scenic pips, i guess i'll have to find a book that deals better with this subject, or a Marseilles-book that teaches how to read the minors. A shame the Witches Tarot companion is not good in this =/

Does the book describe the court cards the same way it does with the minors? I have heard that Fergus Hall did only the Majors, the Aces and the Court Cards...that's why i think the court might have more detailed descriptions...or not?

Thanks for your help, i'm glad to find some Fergus Hall Witches lovers here at AT

~Marina

miss_yuko said:

Does the book describe the court cards the same way it does with the minors? I have heard that Fergus Hall did only the Majors, the Aces and the Court Cards...that's why i think the court might have more detailed descriptions...or not?

Thanks for your help, i'm glad to find some Fergus Hall Witches lovers here at AT

~Marina

Click to expand...

There's a very short paragraph for each court card (just describing what you see - which isn't very much!) and then just the standard meanings. Not as detailed as the majors I'm afraid.

Yep, it's a great deck - it was my introductory deck to the world of tarot. And in a lot of ways, it set the benchmark for what I want a deck to be like.

teomat said:

There's a very short paragraph for each court card (just describing what you see - which isn't very much!) and then just the standard meanings. Not as detailed as the majors I'm afraid.

Click to expand...

Oh, that's a real shame :/
So the books is mostly worthy because of it's Majos Arcana descriptions? I wonder why the didn't give more attantion to the rest of the deck...it seems you could learn more about the minors from watching 'Live and Let Die' than from reading the book, lol!

Thanks, anyway. I'll think twice before getting the book

~Marina

Closet Fergus fan

I too am coming back to this deck after it lying dormant in my collection for 25 years. What drove me back to it was all the unfavourable comments on it. Im always rather drawn to what others find ugly. Yes, the colours are nice arent they? I like the fabricated, carefully cultivated sinister- ness of it. And those shoulders! I love The Magician card. But I don´t have the book: Never really felt a need to use it in conjunction with a book, but one always ends up learning something. Good to have I suppose....